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the purpose of the integrated disability evaluation system or idas is to maintain a fit and vital force when an Airman or Guardian becomes ill or injured the medical community assesses and treats the condition with the goal of returning the member to duty however should the condition limit the service member's ability to perform military duties the department of the Air Force must determine if the member is medically fit for continued service the department of the Air Force processes approximately 4,000 total Force Airmen and Guardians through its disability evaluation system annually the integrated disability evaluation system is a multiphase process with the goal of ensuring service members receive appropriate due process while the impact of their medical condition is evaluated this graphic illustrates the timeline goals for each of the phases in this process it's critical to note that the Ides process does not start until a service member is referred to a medical evaluation board let's discuss the three steps prior to the referral or what we refer to as the pre Ides phase please note these steps are highly individualized dependent on many factors but primarily deal with the service member's Medical Care and Recovery initial medical treatment the first pre idas step is followed by the Airman medical Readiness optimization or Amro board the Second Step identifies Airmen who are not deployment eligible and requires an evaluation of all medical conditions that could potentially cause a service member to be unfit for service the Amro board will determine whether a service member's condition meets the standards for continued military service and return the member to Duty or if there condition requires further review refer them to the third step called the initial review in lie of a medical board or IO the department of the Air Force medical retention standards office at the Air Force's Personnel Center provides the evaluation this office will determine if the member can be returned to Duty with assignment limitations or if the case should be referred to the disability evaluation system for a fitness determination the start of the integrated disability evaluation system or Ides officially begins an estimated 180-day Journey the reason this is an integrated Dez is because the Dez process is integrated with the VA this integration benefits the service member because they could start receiving their VA benefit upon retirement or separation most medical cases are resolved during this prees phase and never referred to the idas as a result for those referred to the idas about 95% are found unfit and either separated or retired the first phase of the idas is the medical evaluation board or Meb the Meb which is signed by three physicians at your local military treatment facility or MTF documents any medical conditions the board believes limit your Airmen or Guardians ability to perform their job when when your service member is referred to the me they will be assigned a physical evaluation board liaison officer or peblo the PBO is assigned to the local MTF and serves as a service member's main point of contact for information the pepo will notify you once the service member is referred to the Ides the pepo will continue to communicate the status of the case as it moves through the Ides process and inform you of any results prior to your service member being notified this pre-notification step ensures you and your team are prepared to provide appropriate support to your Airmen or Guardian if you have a question about any aspect of the idas process please contact your peo once the Meb is complete the case is forwarded to the second phase of the idas the informal physical evaluation board or ipb the ipb made up of a physician and a line officer reviews your service members medical information following the Meb along with your commander input and all other pertinent information to conduct a records only determination of your service member's medical Fitness for Duty the ipb will deem the service member fit for Duty or unfit for continued military service if fit the member is returned to duty possibly with assignment and or deployment limitations if fit for continued military service the ipb will request a disability rating from the Veterans Administration for each unfitting medical condition the service member May either agree with the ipb's finding or request an appeal if an appeal is requested the case moves to the third phase of the idas the formal physical evaluation board or fpb the fpb is located at joint Bay San Antonio Randolph and is respons responsible for adjudicating IB appeals service members have the right to an in-person appearance before the fpb with TDY orders funded by your local MTF they also have the option to appear before the board telephonically or by video teleconference if they choose your service member is also entitled to legal counsel at no cost through the office of disability Council or ODC located at Randol the ODC will assist your service member in rounding out their appeal contention and help them prepare and advocate for them during the hearing should a service member disagree with the fpb findings they are authorized one final appeal at the Secretariat level this would be the fourth and final appeal phase of the idas process Secretariat level appeals are adjudicated by the secretary of the Air Force personnel Council and their decisions are final service members always maintain Ain the right to appeal to the board of Corrections to military records bcmr but bcmr appeals will not delay or impede execution of Ida's decisions now that we've laid some groundwork let's discuss some specific Commander roles and responsibilities your first and primary role lies in the critical input you provide the medical evaluation board through the commander impact statement otherwise known as staff form 11 85 the Commander's impact statement documents the impact the service member's condition has on the mission and communicates if they can perform the duties of their primary afsc each of the boards throughout the idas process rely heavily on your impact statement it's the primary mechanism for you to communicate the impact of your service member's medical condition on their ability to perform the in Garrison and deploy the requirements of their specialty please note your input is not simply limited to the job the Airman or Guardian is currently performing rather it includes all responsibilities they may be asked to perform with respect to their grade and Specialty second you and your command team can help manage your Airmen or Guardians expectations and ensure they are ready to transition into civilian life if found unfit for continued service finally some idz cases will involve service members who are also undergoing administrative or punitive actions it's very important you immediately notify the peo of these actions to ensure they're considered during adjudication there are a variety of resources and additional information sources available to commanders and service members going through the integrated disability evaluation system remember you can always reach out to your peo for additional guidance our goal at 8 FPC is to make the Ides process transparent and responsive ensure your Airman or guardian's case is appropriately adjudicated and your command team is fully informed please refer to our afpc resources online for additional idz information